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Pekingese

American  
[pee-kuh-neez, -nees, pee-king-eez, -ees] / ˌpi kəˈniz, -ˈnis, ˌpi kɪŋˈiz, -ˈis /
Also Pekinese

noun

  • Pekingese
    plural
  1. one of a Chinese breed of small dogs having a long, silky coat.

  2. the standard Chinese language.

  3. the dialect of Peking.

  4. a native or inhabitant of Peking.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Peking.

Pekingese British  
/ ˌpiːkəˈniːz, ˌpiːkɪŋˈiːz /

noun

  1. a small breed of pet dog with a profuse straight coat, curled plumed tail, and short wrinkled muzzle

  2. the dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Beijing (formerly Peking), the pronunciation of which serves as a standard for the language

  3. a native or inhabitant of Beijing (formerly Peking)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to Beijing (formerly Peking) or its inhabitants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of Pekingese

First recorded in 1840–50; Peking + -ese

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

When Diana Tupiza and Andres Alquinga decided to get married, they selected a rather unusual witness for the civil wedding ceremony: Luna, their Pekingese pup who stamped her paw print on the marriage certificate.

From Barron's Jul. 12, 2026

When I was growing up, my first memories as a little girl were. . . there was a Pekingese that I used to tease relentlessly, and she used to bite me.

From Salon Sep. 28, 2024

The prize for reserve best in show, or runner-up, went to the winner of the toy group, a Pekingese named Rummie, from breeder and owner David Fitzpatrick.

From Reuters May 10, 2023

Roxie, a Pekingese, beat out the competition in the toy group to advance to the final stage:

From Los Angeles Times May 9, 2023

Mary Nell has the look of a blond lapdog, the Pekingese kind with tiny feet and a nose that perks on the end.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

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